Visual abilities are obviously important for those who engage in almost any activity. One particular example of activities that place demands upon an individual's visual skills are sports and athletics. All other things being equal, an athlete with strong visual skills will possess an advantage over an athlete with less strong visual skills. In addition to the simple ability to see objects clearly using the physical structures of the eye, however, the neurological capabilities relating to visual performance are also important to an athlete engaging in a sport, or any individual engaging in activities requiring visual processing.
The concept of “visualization” has gained some acceptance in athletic training. For example, athletes are encouraged to image or “visualize” certain scenarios as part of preparing to compete. A quarterback in the game of American football might be asked to visualize defenses he is likely to encounter during a game; a soccer goal keeper might be asked to visualize saving penalty kicks; a basketball player might be asked to visualize shooting free throws with a game on the line. While the use of such visualization is often credited with helping individual athletes prepare for competition, athletes, coaches, trainers, and others have not been able to objectively assess the capabilities of an athlete engaging in visualization.